Thesis (Ph.D.), pages 1-260 pp.. Austin, TX, USA: Univ. of Texas --- Ann Arbor, MI, USA: University Microfilms (Order No. 90--16, 905), 1989.
Abstract: A methodology for achieving fault tolerance in multiprocessors is shown and a survey of modeling techniques for evaluating dependability is presented. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the existing modeling elements and techniques. Three major areas of deficiency were identified, modeling fault handling, modeling fault impact and the lack of quantitative measures of fault tolerance. This dissertation provides solutions to all three. The foundation for these solutions is the use of graph-theoretic techniques. New extensions to Petri nets, called Rainbow nets, are developed which enable a significant reduction in the complexity of nets created to model systems. This is achieved by the use of tokens with an identity and multiple features rather than just one color to a token.
Keywords: fault modeling (and) fault contamination (in) multiprocessor system; fault tolerance; dependability evaluation; rainbow net; extended coloured net; reliability; multiprocessor systems.